Addressing machine



1934- H. c. OSBORN 1,981,001

ADDRESS ING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1932 5Sheets-Sheet l l-llll arwcm bom @w vi, F ean War/ml.

Nov. 20, 1934.

H. C. OSBORN ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed May 19. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .ill.

NOV. 20, 1934. H, c, OSBORN 1,981,001

ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ununm l gwunun:

m 5 I\ 5H 3 Nov. 20, 1934.

H. C. OSBORN ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed May 19. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 "'1" llll 9 I l l I l ll 48 FIG. 8

@j 1"] 60 Ill 3mm 90 4 57 A M a Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNKTEE) STATES PATENT OFFICE Addressograph Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application May 19, 1932, Serial No. 612,263

20 Claims. (01. 101-274) This invention relates to an addressing machine of the type having a set of address plates successively moved to impressing position and a platen adapted to have rolling coaction with the positioned plate to print an address or other matter a line at a time. A machine of this general type is illustrated, for instance, in Patent No. 1,102,396, of Joseph S. Duncan, issued July 7, 1914, to my assignee, Addressograph Company, and the present invention may be considered an improvement on the construction of that patent.

While the method of printing by rolling contact in the patent referred to produces an impression more closely resembling typewriting than that caused by a single blow against the whole form, it had the disadvantage that it was impossible or very diflicult to make an impression omitting portions of the form. Such omission, however, is frequently desired, as, for instance, where one wishes to address an envelope from an address plate containing a Salutation and suitable for use at the head of a letter. Likewise, in printing payroll lists and other matters, it is desirable to omit various portions of the data on the address plate.

One of the objects of my invention is to enable rolling contact printing from address plates in a manner and by mechanism which will provide for the omission of portions of the form when desired. Another object is to provide a means whereby the platen member itself may be readily interchanged for another platen member mounted in the same frame, and thus one may, for instance, have one platen for printing the whole plate and another platen for printing only a portion thereof. Another object of the invention is to improve generally the platen mechanism to obtain a better impression.

My invention is illustrated in the drawings hereof and is hereinafter more fully described and its essential novel features are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the relevant portion of an addressing machine having my improved platen mechanism, the view showing the parts in their active position at the start of the printing impression.

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation showing the parts in idle position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the platen arm carrying my removable platen.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the platen arm and platen in a plane parallel with Fig. 3,

this plane being indicated by the line 4-4 on Fig. l. i

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the segmental platen roller, looking at the supporting webs thereof.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the platen arm and platen in a plane at right angles to Figs. 3 and 4, as indicated by the lines 66 on those figures, showing the position at the start of the printing impression.

Fig. 7 is a sectional end elevation of a portion of the platen arm and the platen, showing the latter in an intermediate position.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7, showing the platen in position to omit the first line on the address plate. 7

Fig. 9 is a plan of a portion of the addressing machine, illustrating the plate feed, the inking ribbon and the planular guard.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic elevation illustrating the removal of the platen from its operating yoke.

Fig. 11 is a perspective of the platen, looking at the printing face thereof.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 indicates the general frame of the machine having a horizontal trackway 11 along which address plates may be progressed, one after another, from the bottom of a stack at 12 to a supporting bed 13. A suitable conveyor, as a pair of endless chains 14, is provided to move the plates. Mechanism not fully shown periodically gives a par-. tial rotation to sprocket wheels 15 on which the chains 14 are mounted to move the chains to cause lugs 16 thereon to engage the bottom plate in the stack and shove it toward printing position, this same operation shoving all the plates in advance thereof so that one after anotherthe plates come onto the support 13.

The platen arm 20 (Figs. 1 and 2) is pivoted to the frame at 21 and is adapted to be rocked to bring its lower end down into operative position over the printing bed 13, as shown in Fig. 1, or when rocked in the opposite direction raised to become idle, .as shown in Fig. 2. The rocking of the arm is shown as effected by an arm 30 pivoted to the frame at 31, and operated by a treadle or other means not shown, this arm having an extension 32 terminating in a head 33 with groove 34 in it which is occupied by a roller 22 on the depending lower end of the arm 20.

When the lower end of the lever-3O is moved rearwardly into the position indicated in Fig. 1, this rocks the arm 20 in a manner to bring the head 25 of the arm down directly over the posi-, 9

tioned plate, so that the platen carried by such head may rock over the plate. Then, as the arm 30 returns to the forward position shown in Fig. 2, this rocks the platen arm and raises its head to the position shown in Fig. 2 and at the same time operates the chain 14 to feed a fresh plate beneath the head.

My invention is concerned with rocking impression mechanism carried by the head 20 of the platen arm and automatically operated after the headhas been lowered. Referring first to Fig. 6, there will be seen a supporting block beneath the head 25 of the platen'arm and adjustably connected to it. As shown, there are two adjusting screws 26 extending :down through the forward part of the head 25 and two adjusting screws 27 extending down throughthe rearward part, and the support 40 is held up against the lower ends of these screws by a central rod 42 having a dome-like head 43 seated in a spherical recess 44on the under side of the supporting block. This rod 42 extends upwardly slidably through the head 25 and is surrounded by a compression spring 45 shown as occupying a well 28 in the head and' com-pressed between the base of the well and a shoulder on the'rod 42. By this means, the support 40 is firmly clamped onto the under side of the platen arm head but at the same time may be adjusted by rocking it'about the 'dome head 43 by turning out one pair of screws and turning in the other. The supporting block carries a fiat plate 4'? secured to its under side as by screws 48, and the adjustment described is such that when the platen arm is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the under side of this plate 4? will be strictly parallel with the top surface of the printing bed 13.

The platen proper. comprises a segment of a cylinder having on its concave face projecting webs as 51, in which is mounted a rod 53 carrying rollers-54. 0n the convex face of the platen are one or more elastic pads as indicated at 55 and 56. The radius of the segment 50 plus the radius of a roller 54 is equal to the distance between the under face of the plate 47 and the printing plane over .theaddress plate. Fromthis, it follows that, if the axis of the segment is drawn rearwardly, while the head is in its lowermost position, the segment rollers will roll along the under-face of the plate 47 and the padded surface of the segment will rock over the paper to be printed and impress the same.

To operate the platen, I providea yoke having its forward portion formed into a pair of arms terminating in heads -61 which have upwardly facing notches 62 (Figs. '4 and 10) adapted to receive the ends of the platen shaft 53. The rear end of the yoke -60 is connected to rock lever mounted on a rock shaft 71 journalled in the platen arm. On this rock shaft is an arm '72 connected by a link "73 with a rock arm '74. This rock-arm has a hub 75 journalled on the shaft 21 which forms the pivot of the platen arm. Journalled on the same shaft 21 is a downwardly extending arm 76 shown as connected 'by-a link '77 with 'the'main operating lever When the parts above described are in idle position, as shown in Fig. '2, the platen is at the forward end of its stroke, as shown inFig. 6, being retained thereby a s'pring =80 pulling forwardly on the arm 70. When-themain 'operati-ng lever moves' rearwardly, the inelined groove 34 in its head acting on the platen arm roller 22 swings the platen into active position, as

" of the main arm 30 (which no longer affects the platen arm, because only a concentric portion 35 of the arm 32 is moving past the roller 22) changes the relation of the linkage to the platen arm .by reason of the abutment shoving upwardly against the arm 74. Such action pulls the .yoke 60 rearwardly and thereby carries the platen 50 from the position of Fig. 6 into some such position as indicated in Fig. 7, and during this time the arcuate pad rocks over the material to be printed, the inking ribbon and the address plate, and thus causes the printing. The rearward movement of the platen is limited by the impingement of the arm 74 against the adjustable stop screw 79, Fig. 1.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, I have indicated the address plate at A, the same having printing portions a and a and, if desired, an index card a The inking ribbon, indicated at B in Figs. 6 and 9, extends lengthwise of the plate and rests directly on the type characters thereof. Above the ribbon may-be a suitable thin spring metal guard having an opening 86 at least as great as the area covered by the type form on the plate.

The paper to be printed, indicated at C in Fig.

6, is placed on the guard -85; then the platen arm is lowered and the platen rocked rearwardly, by the mechanism heretofore described, to cause an impression on the under side of the paper. This impression is by rolling'contact, and is at a substantially constant pressure on successive lines by reason of the adjustment of the supporting plate 47, and thus a very perfect impression is made.

As shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the segment '50 has, along its forward edge, upstanding abutments 57. In the ordinary operation, when a platen is idle, these abutments rest against the forward face of a block 90 which is carried by, and may align with, a supporting plate 91 secured to the support 40 as by "screws '92. The block 90 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 94 journalled in the plate 91 and projecting toward one side and carrying a knurled knob 95 (Fig. 3). By turning this knob substantially ninety degrees, one may swing the block .90 from the idle position shown in Figs. '3, '6 and 7, into the position shown in Fig. 8. When in this position, the platen cannot go as far forward as heretofore, but is stoppedso as to miss a portion of the printing plate, as, for instance, the forward line a thereof. The block 90 is held in either .of its extreme positions 'by a 'detent 97 Fig. 3, slidably mounted in the plate 91 and pressed toward the block by'a spring With the construction just described, when address plates having salutations, for instance, are employed, such salutation may be omitted by simply turning the knob 95, causing the block 90 to restrict the forward movement of the platen. This change can be very readily rnadeby theoperator during the slight period of rest when the platen is elevated, without reducing the speed of the machine. As the machine is ordinarily constructed, the address plate behind the one in impressing position is visible to the operator who can thereafter set the platen stop as desired for the plate to be impressed on the second stroke.

It is sometimes desirable to change the segmental platen altogether to omit impression from some part of the plate. This may be readily effected by mymechanism, as I will now describe. It will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, that the heads 61 of the yoke are normally retained just beneath the supporting plate 47 by suitable catches shown as consisting of leaf. springs 100 secured to the heads 61 extending upwardly and having inwardly bent shoulders 101 overhanging the projecting edges of the plate 47. Above these shoulders the springs have outwardly flaring finger portions 102.

Now, whenever it is desired to change the platen, the operator presses outwardly on the two spring portions 102 (as, for instance, by his two thumbs), so that the yoke is freed from the plate 4'7 and drops down onto the bed 13, thus coming into position shown in full lines in Fig. 10.

When in this position,the forward portion of 1 'Iporting head.

By employing the arcuate platen having a convex surface commensurate with the planular printing surface, I am enabled to form the platen to print any portion of the plate desired.

This is illustrated in Fig. 11, where the pad 58 is shown as cut out at 59 to omit a certain portion of the plate. On the other hand, in Figs. 3-and 4 the arcuate platen pads 55 and 56 are separated by the clear space to provide a nonprinting surface. In this instance, the pad 56 may coaot with a suitable fixed form D, Fig.-4,'

carried by the bed and impressed through the opening 87 of the guard 85, Fig. 9.

The above instances are merely illustrative of various arrangements which can be made of the platen surface. The machine may be equipped with a number of different platens, to provide for various selections of printing forms desired, and the mechanism enables the ready substitution of one for the other.

I claim:

1. In an addressing machine, the combination of a bed for supporting an address plate in printing position, a platen arm, a segmental platen carried by the arm and adapted'to be positioned thereby over the plate on the bed, and means for moving the axis of the segmental platen to cause its convex surface to rock over the plate, said platen having a shaft, and rollers on said shaft which roll along guides on the platen arm while the segment is rocking over the plate.

2. In an addressing machine, the combination of a bed adapted to support an address plate, a platen arm, a segmental platen carried by the arm and adapted to be positioned thereby .over the plate on the bed, and means for moving the axis of the segmental platen to cause it to rock over the plate, said platen having a pad on its arcuate surface positioned longitudinally of the i platen beyond the surface which coacts with a normal printing portion of the address plate.

- 3. The combination of a printing bed, a platen arm adapted to stand above the bed, a platen, an operating device for the platenremovably connected thereto, and means for ,detachably latching the operating device to the platen arm.

4. The combination of means for supporting a printing form, a platen arm, means for raising the same to idle position and for lowering it over the printing position, a segmental platen, mechanism in which the platen is removablymounted and which operates to move the platen along the underside of a guidecarried by the platen arm while the convex face of the platen is rock'- ing over the form, and means for detachably connecting said mechanism to the platen arm.

5. In an addressing machine, the combination of a platen arm, a platen, and an operating mechanism therefor slidably latched to the arm, coacting members on the. platen and the operat-- ing mechanism having mutually seating notches and projections whereby when the mechanism is unlatched from the arm the platen may be removed from the mechanism.

6. In an addressing machine, the combination of a bed adapted to support an address plate,-

a platen arm adapted to be raised and lowered over the bed, a platen moving device slidably latched to the under side of the platen arm whereby it may be released therefrom, and a platen removably mounted in said device;

'1. In an addressing machine, the combination of a platen arm having a head, a yoke slidably latched to the head, said yoke having upwardly facing notches, a platen, a projecting shaft at the axis of the platen adapted to occupy said notches whereby when the yoke is unlatched from the head the platen may be removed from the yoke.

.8. In an addressing machine, the combination of a bed adapted tosupport an address plate in printing position on the bed, a platen arm movable up and downover the bed, said platen arm having a plate with projecting ends, a yoke, a pair of upwardly extending latch springs carried by the yoke adapted to spring over the ends of the plate and a platen removably mounted in the yoke adapted to be free therefrom when the yoke is unlatched from the plate on the;

head.

9. In an addressing machine, the combination of a bed adapted to support a printing form, a platen arm adapted to stand over the printing position, a platen carried by the arm and having an arcuate underface, means for shifting the axis of the platen bodily to cause the platen to rock over the form, and means for varying the starting position of the platen.

10. In an addressing machine, the combination of a bed upon which an address plate may be placed, a platen arm above the bed, a segmental platen slidably supported by the arm,

means for moving the platen along the posii mounted block to form an abutment'limiting the-forward movement of the platen;

12. In "an addressing machine, the combinationtof a bed" adapted 1 to support an: address rollersconcentric with its axis rolling against a flat surface on thearm when the platen bears down against material on the platen, said head having fa doWnwardly: projecting plate in front ofithe= platen and a block-pivotally mounted on 13: In1an addressing machine, the combina-v tion-of a bed adapted to support an address platejiof a platen arm coacting. therewith :and

having ahead adaptedto stand over the plate,-

means'for holding the arm in such position that the-underface of the head is parallel with the supported address plate, a platen comprising an arcuate member having upwardly extending webs, .one'or more printing pads on the convex surface of the arcuate member, a shaft mounted insaid'webs, rollers on said shaft adapted to bear'against the head when the platen surface bears on the address plate, and a linkage sysitemuconnected with said shaft of. the platen to move it parallel tothe under fac'e'of the head with" the rollers bearing against the head and the arcuate pad rolling over the plate.

14';- In an addressingmachine, the combinajtionwith means for supporting an address plate,

a-platen=arm-having a surface adapted tobe heldparallel with they plate, a segmental platen having anqarcuate surface commensurate with the portion of the plate to be printed, a roller mountedon the platen and engagingthe first mentioned surface, and means for moving. the roller along: such surface to rock said platen over th'e plate while it is held down by the surface on the arm.

j -15. The combination of a bed adapted to support'a printing .form, a movable platenarm, a-

plate carried by. theplaten arm on its-under side, an operating device fortheplaten; a seg-' gaged-bythe-operating device; rollers onsaid shaft; and means "for'cau'sing the rollersfto' bear against the plate carriedby the' platen arm.

16? The combin'ation of a' bed, means for 'supporting: a printingform thereon; a platen arm: havingra head", a series of interchangeable; seg mental platens; operating 'mech'anism' in which any platen may be" removably/mounted and" which' operates to move the platen along the underside of said head while thelower surface of the platen rocks over I the form; and means for removably latchingthe operating: mechanism f to said head.

17. The combination with means for. supporting' a printingform, of a movable arm", a platen, operating mechanisni for th'e pIaten; which the platen removablyengages,- and means forrer movabl'y latching the operating: mechanism to the arm.

181 The combination of a=movable arm"; a head thereon; a-segmental platen, a-roller connected with theplaten-andadapted' to bearagainstthe head; and operatingmechanism for the headdetachably connected with theplaten and the L head. 7

19. The combination of meansfor supporting a printing form; a-"movable arm having a head".

adaptedto stand parallel with the form, a'segmental platen adapted to rock over the form, a

roller connected with the platen adapted to bear cn-the' 'head when thesameis parallel with the form, operating mechanism 'for; the platen having upwardly' extending open slotsin which projections carried by the platen exsaidarm having a head which is parallel with the platewhen the arm" is-in its lowermost position, a segmental platen, a shaft carried at the axis thereof, aprocker on said shaft adapted to engage the undersideof the head in its lowermost position when thesegmental surface-of the platen is in engagementwithi' the address plate, an operating device for the platen having anupwardly extending open slot in which said shaft is mounted, and means for removably and slid-' ably-latching the operating mechanism'to the head. g i V HENRY C. OSBORN. 

